The invention generally relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly relates to weather-tight connectors adapted for outdoor use in damp or wet environmental conditions.
As is well known, there are many applications for electrical connectors. For example, electrical connectors are commonly used to connect or disconnect electrical cables such as at a panel of an assembly. In particular, one connector called a panel connector is mounted to a panel, and a mating connector can be connected to or disconnected from it. Either one of the two connectors can be a plug or male connector, and the other connector would be a socket or female connector.
In the typical arrangement, the panel connector has an outer housing with an external annular flange. During installation, the barrel of the housing is inserted through a corresponding hole in the panel until the flange seats against the panel, and then a nut is tightened onto threads on the barrel until the nut engages the panel. In short, the panel is sandwiched between the nut and the flange to secure the panel connector to the panel. In one prior art arrangement, elongated conductive contacts are held parallel by a holder or contact retention disc, and the contacts extend axially through respective bores of an insulator body disposed within a connector housing. The mating connector is of similar construction without the external flange, and its conductive contacts are of opposite type to provide male to female engagement.
Some prior art connectors have been adapted for outdoor use in wet or damp environmental conditions. In particular, molded thermoplastic rubber gaskets have been provided for slipping over the barrel and up against the flange of the panel connector before mounting. Therefore, when the nut is tightened onto the barrel, the gasket is sandwiched between the panel and the flange to provide a seal to prevent passage of moisture through the connector hole to the back of the panel. One drawback of such arrangement is that there must be clearance between the gasket and the barrel of the panel connector to enable the gasket to be slipped on easily. However, this clearance enables the gasket to slip one way or the other so that the barrel is not centered within the gasket. Such arrangement can lead to a faulty seal that permits the passage of moisture through the panel hole to the back of the panel which typically is inside a chassis. Furthermore, such arrangement involves technician labor time in slipping on the gasket, and there is always the possibility that the gasket will inadvertently be omitted.
Environmental or outdoor connectors have also been provided with o-rings that are to be seated against an external shoulder of one of the connectors. The o-ring is then compressed by engagement with the other connector to provide a seal thereby preventing ingress of moisture inside the connector housings to the electrical contact regions of the respective mating connectors. One drawback is that these o-rings may slip from their intended positions. Also, they involve labor time for installation, and there is always a possibility that they will inadvertently be omitted.